Following grand openings in Turin and Naples, Italy continues to add more Innovations Hubs. And now it’s Milan’s turn. On 17 December, Terna’s new "Analytics & Energy Systems" centre was inaugurated in the presence of the high-voltage electricity grid operator’s Chairwoman Catia Bastioli, the Municipality of Milan’s Councillor for Digital Transformation Roberta Cocco, and Italian Regulatory Authority for Energy, Networks and Environment (ARERA) Board member Stefano Saglia.
This new laboratory, as Terna's Chairwoman explains, is fully in line with the collaborative model developed by the company in recent years via its two other Hubs in Turin and Naples. "Some change manifests through local roots and global vision. This leads to a different kind of development, the kind for which Terna wants to be a driver, with its expertise, innovation and passion to serve the nation", said Bastioli, highlighting the importance of transition from watt culture to byte culture, with a multidisciplinary vision.
Focused on the importance of data interpretation through algorithms and models to ensure the efficiency of the energy system.
The sharing of skills and the blending of disciplines will be the basis of the activities, which will be developed around four pillars: innovation, the region, people and digitalisation. With the energy system transition currently under way in the lead up to 2030, a great deal of effort in terms of management will be required. The interpretation of data using algorithms and models will become an essential element to ensuring an efficient future ahead.
The idea behind Terna’s Milan Hub is to provide concrete impetus for this trend, above all, with the collaboration of young talent and start-ups with a focus on data collection and analysis. The new Hub will be divided into two different laboratories: Energy Tech, which was created for the development of new forecasting models, and the "Analytics Hub", where such models will also find new applications through interaction with innovative companies.
Therefore, Milan aims to create more innovation-centred value with this new initiative and establish a partnership between the public and private sectors, which will help to accelerate the technological process towards progress. Lombardy is also the region with highest investment from Terna in Northern Italy, at € 516 million across the next 5 years, for an even more secure, resilient and sustainable electricity grid, a goal which the Hub will no doubt contribute to with the creation, development and application of new ideas.